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by theriveroflight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Ladynoir | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Letters, On the Run, Parent-Child Relationship, platonic ladynoir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: Paris saves one of its saviors.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sabine Cheng & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 27
Kudos: 98





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**Author's Note:**

> I've referred to this as No Marinette Only Ladybug, but this is a Very Serious Fic I swear--
> 
> This is setup for an animatic I plan on making about Ladynoir at some point, so...no written sequel, at least.
> 
> Warnings: (edited in 6/8/2020) homelessness, kidnapping + suicide + freezing to death references/mentions
> 
> Enjoy!

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_I've been Leading a double life for a long time. And it's finally caught up to me. I can't tell you too much about it - All confidential. But Marinette…needs to Disappear for a bit. I don't know how long it will be before I return. It may be two weeks, it may be two Years. I will continue my studies from my location. Yes, I am still alive, but Marinette, from the moment you read this note, will be Basically dead. You will never find a body - or at least, not if I can help it. I'm not going to drown myself in the Seine, or jump off the Eiffel Tower. It'll be an Unusual time for all of us, but I refuse to Go down without a fight. In fact, it's been reckless of me to give this many hints. You'll see Marinette again. I promise. Don't miss me._

_Love,_

_your daughter._

* * *

“Marinette, are you sure-”

“Tikki, spots on.” She can’t hear any more of it. Marinette…cannot coexist with Ladybug right now. No matter what Tikki says. She’s the Guardian, she needs to devote herself to the Miraculous.

At least until Hawk Moth is defeated. She’s left too many hints in the note as is.

She doesn’t really need clothes. The suit will keep her clean and relatively warm - as in, she won’t freeze to death if she stays transformed during cold weather. It won't be _enjoyable_ , but she'll be alive. And that’s what’s really important.

The duffel she’s putting in her yo-yo of infinite storage has everything she needs, too. The Miracle Box. All of her school books (papers are submitted, and she’s withdrawn, saying that she’ll be homeschooling herself for the rest of collège, and then work on applying to lycées after she deals with some obligations. The books will end up on the steps of Collège François-Dupont on the day that her grade will be graduating). An umbrella. A refillable water bottle. Lots of snacks - granola in a gallon Ziploc bag, applesauce packets, protein powder. Her wallet, all of her savings withdrawn from the bank save for 100 Euros, plus what she already had in there. Toiletries, for washing her hair in a bathroom sink or making sure her face is clean. Some hoodies and sweatpants, for when she really does need to detransform but needs to stay in disguise - including a cosplay Ladybug mask from a souvenir shop. A sketchbook, for when she misses art. Pencils, for drawing.

She opens up the yo-yo compartment and shoves the bag in.

She heads out the trapdoor to her balcony. She grabs her yo-yo and hooks it onto the next building.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng is no more.

There is only Ladybug.

* * *

When Marinette doesn’t come down for school the next morning, Sabine is concerned. Usually, if Marinette is running late she’s scrambling to get to school as quickly as possible.

Unless she slept in. Maybe she slept in.

“Tom, sweetheart, I’m going to check on Marinette!”

“Alright, honey!”

She climbs up the stairs. There’s no one in the bed, the bathroom is empty… 

Marinette’s fallen asleep on the balcony before, maybe that happened?

But then she notices the piece of paper on the bed.

And then she reads the note.

What sort of double life was Marinette leading? How was she continuing her studies? Could she have been kidnapped?

Marinette is missing, and this note is the last. She ran away. 

There are so many things that could happen to her out in the city. So as much as Marinette might say that she isn’t going to die, she could very well be dead now. Sabine knows that Marinette is resilient and strong and probably prepared a lot to survive in the city, but Marinette probably can’t defend herself against a criminal or thug.

She should probably let Tom know.

Wherever Marinette is, Sabine just hopes that she’s safe.

And that’s when she notices that Marinette left her phone on the desk.

Marinette didn’t take her phone, they can’t communicate.

She rereads the note, the assurance that she’ll be back - and Sabine notices something she hadn’t before.

The capitalized words, that don’t belong as capitalized, spell Ladybug.

Oh.

Well, that’s both reassuring and nonreassuring.

It’s reassuring because she knows that Marinette hasn’t been kidnapped. She knows that Marinette will be living as Ladybug.

The note falls further into place with that realization.

And as much as she wishes that she could claim Marinette back, she can’t stop Ladybug from saving the city.

As much as it pains her, she needs to let Marinette keep protecting the city. As long as Marinette feels the need to distance herself for the sake of being Ladybug.

Who else would Marinette be willing to let know?

The note is just addressed to her and Tom. But would Marinette be willing to tell others if she asked? Would Marinette have told the officials at the school when she dropped out?

So many questions, and Marinette left them adrift with no answers - a sudden drop out of life.

* * *

Marinette doesn’t show up for school on Thursday.

 _Okay,_ Alya reasons to herself, _maybe Marinette is sick and she feels like garbage and that’s why she isn't texting me back._

When Marinette doesn’t text her back during lunch, she reasons that Marinette might be grounded from her phone, or it was taken away from her because she was sick.

When Marinette still isn’t at school Friday, Madame Bustier tells them that Marinette withdrew from their collège in favor of homeschooling and that Alya is class president now, she almost cries - but she puts a brave face on, and declares that she’s making Alix her deputy. She knows Alix fairly well and suspects that she'll lead a balanced class.

Why would Marinette not tell them if she was withdrawing?

Another text goes unread.

During lunch, she, Adrien, Nino, Alix, and Kim go over to visit the bakery.

“Hey, Madame Cheng,” she says, trying to act like her normal, confident self. “Can we see Marinette? She hasn’t replied to my texts and apparently she withdrew from school.”

“WHAT?” It’s the first time she’s _ever_ heard either of Marinette’s parents really yell.

“Yeah,” Adrien says. “That’s what Madame Bustier told us, at least.”

“She’s ran away. She left a note, if you wish to read it.” Mme Cheng takes a paper out from her apron. The folds look slightly worn, despite it only having been two days.

She scans it over. “This is what she said.” She reads the notes out - and then she realizes. What are those capitalized words?

_Leading. All. Disappear. Years. Basically. Unusual. Go._

_L.A.D.Y.B.U.G._

Marinette is Ladybug. That’s the double life. That’s the answer to the code.

Everything makes so much more _sense_ now.

She folds the note back up and hands it to Mme Cheng. “Marinette will be fine. I’m certain that she’ll return to us.” Alya takes a steadying breath. Marinette _is_ Ladybug, after all. And the task they have to do is defeat Hawk Moth.

“How can you be so sure?” Kim asks.

“She said in her note that she'll be back, doofus,” Alix answers.

Alya smiles. 

“Can I read the note, Mme Cheng?” Adrien asks. Alya looks over at him. Oh, shit. He could find out. That…wouldn’t be good.

“I read it out loud to you,” she says to him. “Weren’t you listening?”

She can’t tell anyone.

“Marinette could have hidden something in the writing. She seems like the type of person who would attempt that.”

She did. But she _cannot_ let Adrien figure it out. She can’t let anyone else figure it out. She can’t spread the secret. No matter if Marinette wants them to know or not. She knows that Marinette addressed it to her parents, so she probably only wanted them to know.

“Adrien, there was _nothing unusual._ No random capitalised letters, no postscript with numbers, no reversed or off words…nothing to see. She’s run off, but she'll be back.”

“How can you be so sure?” He looks her in the eye, and she realizes that he cares. Deep down, he really cares. And that almost causes her to break and ask Mme Cheng to hand the note back over.

But she can’t. For Marinette.

“If you _ever_ cared about Marinette,” she whispers in his ear, “you won’t ask about the note again. There is something hidden. A secret that I think she wouldn’t want too many people to share. I’m sorry. But if you really care, _don’t ask._ It’s for her, not me.”

He backs away and nods.

* * *

Submit: Superhero Sightings

Instructions: Please include an image and a small caption (no more than 500 characters). All photoshopped images will be deleted.

_[Image: Ladybug (seemingly asleep), curled up on a gray rooftop. A navy blue blanket is draped over her. The picture is slightly out of focus.]_

I’m a janitor for this building, and I always go up to the roof to clean up a bit, and I found Ladybug asleep here. I don’t know what she was doing up there, but she seemed cold, so I left her a blanket.

_[Image: Ladybug, with the same blanket wrapped around her shoulders, smiling. She’s seated next to the person holding the camera, who is wearing glasses. Their hair is cut short, and the two of them look happy.]_

Caught a bug hanging out here while taking care of the rooftop garden! She was happy to take a picture with me.

_[Image: Blurry Ladybug swinging between two roofs.]_

Caught this candid of Ladybug walking around yesterday afternoon. It was pretty _miraculous,_ if I do say so myself.

* * *

LADYBLOG: #1 Source for Information & Theories on Ladybug and Chat Noir!

“What Happened to Ladybug?”

Tagged: [SPECULATION]

Recently, the Ladyblog has been receiving a lot of images of Ladybug around the city. While there are plenty of images out there on the Ladyblog of her, we definitely get a lot less candids of her - and certainly not ones with her sleeping on a roof. (Link to image.) Before about a week ago, a lot of the candids of Ladybug by herself were photoshopped. These, as far as I’m aware - and I’m pretty good at spotting Photoshop, are not.

So, the question remains: what happened? Why are we getting so many candids of Ladybug?

Well, as I see it, there are a few possibilities.

  1. Ladybug, like Chat Noir, has taken up the occasional parkour session.
    1. This theory has some merit, but Ladybug seems to only use her powers for superhero work in general. And if this were true, then why would she be found sleeping on a roof?
  2. Ladybug was kicked out of her home and is living on the streets.
    1. This one makes the most sense, but I honestly don’t want to believe it. Also, why would Ladybug be living as _Ladybug_ if she got kicked out?
  3. Ladybug has been keeping herself hidden and is now letting herself be seen by the public.
    1. I may be writing these theories, but this one is the least likely of all three of these.



As I learn more details behind Ladybug’s sudden rise, I’ll be sure to inform you! Alya out.

* * *

“Oh gosh,” she says, looking at the Ladyblog article, huddled in a corner with the blanket draped over her head. “Alya found out.”

She needs to talk to Alya.

* * *

LADYBLOG: #1 Source for Information & Theories on Ladybug and Chat Noir!

“The Truth: What Happened to Ladybug?”

Tagged: [VERIFIED] [INTERVIEW]

I recently got in contact with Ladybug after the latest article, and she has informed me that she’s doing fine, but has recently had new superheroine responsibilities bestowed on her.

Ladybug therefore decided to leave her civilian identity until Ladybug and Chat Noir have defeated Hawk Moth. She deemed remaining in her civilian identity too high-risk to maintain her secret identity.

You can hear the interview here.

* * *

“You know you don’t have to do this on your own.”

“I’m _not_ doing it on my own. I have Chat Noir to fight beside me.”

“We’re all here for you, too.”

“I know all of Paris would support me given the chance, but…”

[AUDIO CUT]

“We’re here for you, Ladybug.”

“I know. And if I ever need it, you’ll be the first to know.”

* * *

“Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news! In recent weeks, we’ve had an astounding story about charity and goodness - and Ladybug. Since the news of Ladybug’s lack of a steady home, people have taken to putting ladybug decals on their front doors or windows to represent that Ladybug is always welcome in - whether it’s to get out of the elements, or to sleep at night. Paris has rallied around Ladybug now.”

_[The screen flashes with varied images of Ladybug with various people, her sleeping on a cot, Ladybug and Chat holding each other up after a battle.]_

“We are all here for you, anytime, Ladybug. You do so much for us every day. Let us do this for you. Let us support you.”

* * *

A back alley, somewhere in Paris.

The stars are outshone by the streetlights.

If one were to bother to look into that alley, one would see Ladybug and Chat Noir, and maybe perhaps overhear their conversation.

“Let me support you, milady. You can let me in. It isn’t a weakness.”

If someone were to look, they would see Ladybug and Chat Noir standing back to back, holding hands. Chat’s eyes would be closed, and his head would be leaning back over Ladybug’s.

“I know it isn’t weak to let someone in, kitty. It’s harder to practice that, to actually let someone in. I _trust_ you, Chat.”

The words would be soft. One would have to be listening for them, over the bustle of the city around the scene.

“I know you trust me, too, but you don’t always have to fight alone. You and me, remember?”

His words would be louder than hers.

“Always.”

It’s a _promise._

Anyone watching would be able to tell, even if they weren’t there for the original promise - Ladybug and Chat Noir against the world, together, always.

“You support me, milady - you always have. Let me support you in return, pay back everything you’ve given me.”

And someone observing would be able to recognize the pleading. _Let me in._ There are so many things with superheroes that they have to keep secret from each other.

Even without the knowledge that Ladybug had altogether abandoned her civilian life, one would still be able to tell that Ladybug needed to be supported more in this moment.

“We can support each other.”

They whirl around so that they’re standing face to face, familiar enough to do so without having to let go of each other.

Even if someone were watching, nobody would have been able to catch Ladybug’s barely perceptible sigh of relief - except Chat.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me online:  
> alto-tenure - main Tumblr  
> the-river-of-light - visual art Tumblr  
> beunforgotten - writing Tumblr  
> riiveroflight - Twitter
> 
> Please leave a comment/kudos, I thrive on feedback and will do my best to reply to any and all comments on this story.


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